Developing Employment Environments Where Individuals with ASD Thrive: Using Machine Learning to Explore Employer Policies and Practices

Amy Jane Griffiths; Amy Hurley Hanson; Cristina M Giannantonio; Sneha Kohli Mathur; Kayleigh Hyde; Erik Linstead

doi:10.3390/brainsci10090632

Developing Employment Environments Where Individuals with ASD Thrive: Using Machine Learning to Explore Employer Policies and Practices

Brain Sci. 2020 Sep 11;10(9):632. doi: 10.3390/brainsci10090632.

Authors

Amy Jane Griffiths¹, Amy Hurley Hanson², Cristina M Giannantonio², Sneha Kohli Mathur¹, Kayleigh Hyde³, Erik Linstead⁴

Affiliations

¹ Attallah College of Educational Studies, Chapman University, One University Drive, Orange, CA 92866, USA.
² Argyros School of Business and Economics, Chapman University, One University Drive, Orange, CA 92866, USA.
³ Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, One University Drive, Orange, CA 92866, USA.
⁴ Fowler School of Engineering, Chapman University, One University Drive, Orange, CA 92866, USA.

Abstract

An online survey instrument was developed to assess employers' perspectives on hiring job candidates with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The investigators used K-means clustering to categorize companies in clusters based on their hiring practices related to individuals with ASD. This methodology allowed the investigators to assess and compare the various factors of businesses that successfully hire employees with ASD versus those that do not. The cluster analysis indicated that company structures, policies and practices, and perceptions, as well as the needs of employers and employees, were important in determining who would successfully hire individuals with ASD. Key areas that require focused policies and practices include recruitment and hiring, training, accessibility and accommodations, and retention and advancement.

Keywords: autism spectrum disorder; employment; machine learning.